As trade deadline approaches, do Arizona Cardinals have interest in Bryant McKinnie?

The Arizona Cardinals, at 4-4, are not out of the playoff picture. However, they do have plenty of holes on the roster, and reaching the postseason would be easier if some of them were filled.

With the NFL’s trade deadline pushed to Thursday due to Hurricane Sandy, the Cardinals will have more time to make a deal if they so choose.

“Well we’re looking; we’re always looking for ways to help this team, we always have been,” Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Tuesday. “If there’s something available…if we had an opportunity to get somebody that we think can help us, we certainly would try to do that.”

Could Bryant McKinnie be the answer for someone? McKinnie’s the odd man out in the Baltimore tackle rotation (Michael Oher’s taken his old left tackle job, with Iowa State rookie Kelechi Osemele now the right tackle. McKinnie played but 23 offensive snaps in the last three Ravens game. But he’d be a good temporary Band-Aid for the reeling Cardinals, who I hear have some interest in him. They should. Their two starting tackles are the lowest-rated tackles in the NFL, according to ProFootballFocus.com, which has Bobby Massie and D’Anthony Batiste blamed for the incredible total of 25 sacks and 74 quarterback hits or hurries — in eight games!

While the Cardinals may have interest in the 33-year-old, it’s worth remembering that big-time trades in the NFL are rare, and if a deal is struck it will likely cost the Cardinals a draft pick or two.

While not referring to the McKinnie rumor or any other specific deal, Whisenhunt said it is difficult to part with picks.

“We’ve done so well with our draft picks over the last couple of years and we’ve built a good core group of young guys that you want to continue to build to that,” Whisenhunt said. “That’s how you have success in this league.”